The quality of information available on health websites in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has not been comprehensively assessed. From November to December 2012 we retrieved all functional health-related websites (n = 925) originating in GCC countries. Data on authorship, language, date, information content and type of site were recorded. A novel website checklist was developed based on the credibility and trust criteria of the Internet assessment organization Health On the Net Foundation (HON). Only 5 sites (0.5%) fulfilled all checklist categories. All websites except one were in English or Arabic languages. Only 10.1% of websites posted a privacy policy, 2.7% stated the authorship of information, 51.0% disclosed website ownership, 80.6% provided contact details and 58.5% dated information. Only 1.7% reported their advertising policy and 23.5% revealed sponsorships. GCC health website owners should consider working with the HON or similar organizations to meet internationally recognized credibility criteria. Department of Medical Education, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Doha, Qatar (Correspondence to A.S. Weber: alw2010@qatar-med.cornell.edu). Typologie et crédibilité des sites Web de santé créés dans des pays du Conseil de Coopération du GolfeRÉSUMÉ La qualité des informations disponibles sur les sites Web de santé des pays du Conseil de Coopération du Golfe n'a pas été évaluée de manière exhaustive. De novembre à décembre 2012, nous avons répertorié tous les sites Web actifs consacrées aux questions de santé (n = 925) créés dans des pays du Conseil de Coopération du Golfe. Les données sur les auteurs, la langue, la date et les informations disponibles ainsi que sur le type de site Web ont été enregistrées. Une nouvelle liste de contrôle des sites Web innovante a été élaborée à partir des critères de crédibilité et de confiance de la fondation Health On the Net (HON) -la Santé sur Internet, organisme d'évaluation des sites Web. Seuls cinq sites (0,5 %) avaient des résultats satisfaisants pour toutes les catégories de la liste de contrôle. Tous les sites Web, sauf un, étaient en langue anglaise ou langue arabe. Seuls 10,1 % des sites avaient publié une politique de confidentialité ; 2,7 % citaient les auteurs des informations ; 51,0 % révélaient l'identité du propriétaire du site ; 80,6 % fournissaient des coordonnées et 58,5 % avaient daté les informations publiées. Seuls 1,7 % précisait leur politique en matière de publicité et 23,5 % indiquaient les parrainages. Les propriétaires des sites dédiés à la santé dans des pays du Conseil de Coopération du Golfe devraient envisager de collaborer avec la fondation HON ou des organisations similaires pour satisfaire aux critères de crédibilité internationalement reconnus. ‫املتوسط‬ ‫لرشق‬ ‫الصحية‬ ‫املجلة‬ ‫العرشون‬ ‫املجلد‬ ‫عرش‬ ‫الثاين‬ ‫العدد‬ 805

Background Patients with schizophrenia are at least twice as likely to develop diabetes mellitus compared to the general population. This is of significance in Qatar given the high prevalence of obesity and diabetes. Furthermore, the lifespan of people with schizophrenia is shortened by approximately 15 years, partly due to long-term microvascular and macrovascular complications. High quality diabetes care can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality. We assessed the level of diabetes care delivered to patients in Qatar with schizophrenia and diabetes compared to those with diabetes alone. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with diabetes mellitus with (n = 73) and without (n = 73) schizophrenia. Demographic information and electronic medical records were reviewed to determine adherence to American Diabetes Association standards of diabetes care in the last 6 and 12 months. Optimal diabetes care was defined as having completed glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profile and retinal examination within 12 months. Results Optimal diabetes care was significantly lower in patients with schizophrenia and diabetes compared to diabetes alone [26.0% (n = 19/73) vs 52.1% (n = 38/73), p = 0.002]. Patients with diabetes and schizophrenia were also significantly less likely to have had body mass index recorded within 6 months (p = 0.008) and HbA1c (p = 0.006), lipid profile (p = 0.015), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (p = 0.001) and order for retinal examination (p = 0.004) over 12 months. After adjusting for multiple comparisons, only assessment of eGFR (p = 0.01) and order for retinal examination (p = 0.04) remained significant. Conclusion Patients in Qatar with schizophrenia and diabetes, receive sub-optimal diabetes care compared to those with diabetes alone.

Older individuals are more vulnerable to severe coronavirus disease 2019 and medical complications. Vaccination stands as an efficient and safe vanguard against infection. However, negative attitudes and perceptions pertaining to available vaccines might hinder community inoculation. The aim of this study was to assess vaccine hesitancy and its psychosocial determinants among the elderly in Qatar. We conducted a cross-sectional study between October 15 and November 15, 2020, using a composite online survey including the Vaccine Attitudes Examination Scale in addition to questions on sociodemographic correlates and the role of healthcare professionals. The vaccine hesitancy rate was 19.5%. The main reasons for willingness to vaccinate included understanding the nature of disease and role of vaccination, in addition to information provided by physicians. Fears mainly centered around vaccine safety. Vaccine hesitators were more likely to be non-Qatari and having received the influenza vaccine at least once. Gender, marital status, socioeconomic status, educational level, and having completed childhood vaccinations were not associated with vaccine hesitancy. Efforts should be directed toward raising awareness of vaccine efficacy and safety profiles. Physicians should additionally be educated about their pivotal role in advocating vaccine acceptance. We recommend reassessing vaccine hesitancy and its associated factors following a year of campaigning and vaccine administration to identify and target vulnerable groups.

Background Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a sensorimotor disorder characterized by unpleasant and distressing sensations in the lower limbs that are more pronounced in the evening, commence or worsen at rest, and show partial or complete relief following movement. It can occur as a primary disorder, secondary to medical conditions or treatment with medications including but not limited to antidepressants or antipsychotics. Case presentation A 32-year old man with major depressive disorder showed partial response to Escitalopram 10 mg daily. Agomelatine 25 mg at night was added to Escitalopram to treat his residual depressive symptoms, namely insomnia and tiredness. Within two days he developed restlessness and unpleasant sensations in his legs which were worse at night. Symptom severity increased over the following days, prompting an urgent consultation a week later. The patient’s presentation met the criteria for RLS. Agomelatine was discontinued leaving the patient on Escitalopram alone. The patient’s symptoms improved within 24 h of stopping Agomelatine, with complete resolution four days later. There was no recurrence of RLS during follow-up. The patient scored 6 on Naranjo’s adverse drug reaction probability scale, indicating a probable adverse drug reaction caused by Agomelatine. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of suspected Agomelatine-induced RLS. Clinicians need to be aware of RLS to enable prompt diagnosis and management. We suggest adding Agomelatine to the list of agents that can potentially induce RLS.